After a whirlwind year, on the back of a successful inaugural film festival, Safar: A Journey Through Popular Arab Cinema and winning the prestigious UNESCO-Sharjah prize for Arab culture, The Arab British Centre is pleased to be welcoming young designers from the Arab world to presentand sell their wares in time for the Christmas festivities! As a charity, whose focus is the promotion of Arab culture, The Arab British Centre is excited to be offering the British public a chance to purchase a wide array of artisanal products from the Arab world, including screen-prints, jewellery made of olivewood, fine textiles and delicious Palestinian foodstuffs; there is something for everyone! During A Festive Souk, The Centre will have extended opening times; Thursday 5th December Friday 6th December Saturday 7th December 12:00 – 15:00 The Arab British Centre and our artisans look forward to welcoming you in from the cold! Biographies of the Artisans; Joumana Medlej  Joumana was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. A graphic designer by training, she learned the essence of Kufi script, the oldest form of Arabic, from master calligrapher Samir Sayegh, through years of close collaboration. She learned to breathe new life into a traditional art, not merely copying or reviving its old forms but finding a contemporary language for it. She is especially interested in the unique relationship between Kufi and geometry, both sacred arts. She now lives in London where her study of these fields is ongoing. See more at http://majnouna.com/Nadya Hazbunova Nadya is a Palestinian-Czech womenswear and jewellery designer from Bethlehem, Palestine. The mixture of her Middle Eastern over-the-top aesthetic with a hint of European class makes her creations notably dramatic and unforgettable. She is most known for transforming the local traditional production of olivewood and venturing into a new innovative approach by creating a magnificent parallel wooden accessories line to complement her womenswear range, taking her Palestinian heritage onto a completely new international level . She obtained her MA in interactive & communication media in Prague, Czech Republic and then pursued her passion by completing fashion design & fashion journalism courses in London. This background in media and fashion is clearly reflected in her work, as many of her accessories and clothing items carry strong messages raising awareness in regards to the Palestinian issue in a fashionable non-invasive way. See more at: www.nadyah.com orwww.olivewoodfrombethlehem.comNagada Fabrics NA-GA-DA, three syllables, clear and magical, that came even before pharaonic Egypt. The name of the village sings like the rhythm of the weaver’s loom. Using 100% Egyptian cotton, hand-woven by this historic community and then hand-crafted into beautiful, bespoke pieces of traditional craftsmanship for your interiors, the Nagada range offers a piece of history with every purchase. Nuun Interiors is proud to distribute and support the craft and community of Nagada; the future of tradition. See more at:http://nuuninteriors.com/Zaytoun Zaytoun is a social enterprise that was founded in 2004 to give Palestinian olive producers access to the UK market. Zaytoun is a Cooperative and a member of the Fairtrade Foundation. It's also a Community Interest Company which means that its objectives lie with the welfare of the farming communities. Zaytoun launched the world's first Fairtrade Olive Oil and Olives and now has a range of ethically sourced products that include Medjoul dates, Maftoul (Palestian giant couscous), Za'atar (traditional thyme & sesame herb mix), almonds, and olive oil soap. It also promotes an olive tree planting project "Trees for Life", and runs harvest tours in Palestine. See more at: http://www.zaytoun.org/ |
A Festive Souk will be held at: The Arab British Centre 1 Gough Square London EC4A 3DE |